"The Five Japanese Sisters, The Meeting of Sakura"
Written by Fiona Foyer and Yoshie Kachi
Illustrated by Fiona Foyer
Translated by Mari
The Five Japanese Sisters, The Meeting of Sakura is written in both English and Japanese
In a small, serene village known for its lush green tea fields, a kind-hearted woman named Haha becomes the proud mother of five daughters, all born on a day of brilliant rainbows. These sisters-Aka, Ao, Midori, Diadia, and Kee-are blessed with unique gifts: ability to talk to trees, hair that is long, strong like a rope, ability to make tea to soothe, special glasses to find difficult things and the art of healing.
When their mother is taken by a dragon, the sisters must work together, using their talents and the guidance of a cherry blossom tree, to embark on an adventure that leads them to the dragon's lair. Through courage and kindness, they learn that the dragon only sought help for an injury. By showing compassion, the sisters form a special bond with the dragon. Haha, their mother gives the dragon the name Sakura, who becomes part of their family.
This beautifully illustrated picture book, rich with Japanese culture and themes of family, adventure, and teamwork, is a touching tale that young readers will treasure. Perfect for libraries and bookstores, "The Five Japanese Sisters" offers an enchanting story with meaningful lessons about caring for others, understanding differences, and the strength of working together. This is the first of a series about the adventures the five sisters following stories of dragons around the world.
Foyer, Fiona: - She is a professional artist, who studied at London Guildhall University, BA Fine Art. Strong lines and colours can be seen throughout her work. She loves to using colour, especially bright, bold colours. Throughout her life Fiona has written children stories as gifts, stories for people in her family as well as children of friends. Originally Fiona's stories were private gifts but now through publishing they are accessible to children and their families around the world. Fiona was inspired to write this book for her nephew. Because of her enjoyment of telling stories she wants to share her joy of a good story with beautiful pictures. Fiona grew up in Canada but has lived in the UK for over 25 years.
Kachi, Yoshie: - Yoshie Kachi is a graphic and web designer from Gifu, Japan. In 2015, she met Fiona in Bristol, England, and since then, they have built a strong relationship while sharing their cultures with one another. Yoshie is keen to share her Japanese culture, the language, art and beauty through telling of stories. Yoshie has been learning the Japanese tea ceremony since 2012 and loves wearing her beautiful kimonos to these ceremonies. She loves to daydream about the world that she doesn't know yet.
Ueda, Mari: - Mari Ueda was born in Japan and completed her Masters at the University of Bristol. She is a skilled translator, fluent in both Japanese and English. Mari also manages a sacred ground in Kyoto, Japan, where she continues to honour her cultural heritage. Her dedication to language, art, and tradition shines through in her work on the bilingual 'Five Japanese Sisters' series, ensuring the stories resonate in both languages while preserving the beauty of Japanese culture."
